Candy Sales

More than 143 million pounds of candy will be sold at U.S. drugstores and mass merchandisers in the weeks leading up to and including Valentine's Day this year, based on Nielsen's tally of last year's activity. About 60 percent of the money spent on candy will be on chocolate -- 86 million pounds worth. Candy sales include about 5 million Sweethearts candies, which are churned out to the tune of 100,000 pounds a day from late February through mid-January and sell out in six weeks.